2009 Webcast Series
Announcing the 2009 Self-Employment Webcast Series! (All begin at 2:00 pm ET)
Don't miss this opportunity to receive 6 self-employment presentations and earn CRCs. Scholarships are available for individuals with disabilities to participate at no charge. Please e-mail tcblanke@vcu.edu if you would like to request a scholarship.
Find out More & Register | Brochure (PDF)
Online Seminar
The Role of Vocational Rehabilitation in Self-Employment
By Grant Revell
Grant Revell reviews the potential resources and support available through State
VR Agencies for individuals with disabilities who have a goal of
self-employment. Grant worked for a number
of years at the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services as a counselor and state
program manager prior to coming to the Research and Training Center. He has personal
experience with Vocational Rehabilitation as a helpful resource in supporting employment
goals and outcomes.
Joe Steffy
How One Young Man Runs His Business
Poppin' Joe's Kettle Korn shows how children with disabilities can become successful business owners. Joe Steffy is off to Overland Park, Kan., this week to do a PowerPoint presentation on his business, Poppin' Joe's Kettle Korn. He's a 23-year-old small-business man with a goal of $100,000 in sales by 2012. Joe also has autism and Down syndrome and is nonverbal. When he gives his talk, he will push buttons on an augmentative speech device to deliver the words. His audience will be parents who fervently hope their own special-needs children will be able to work, too. Read the U.S. News & World Report article
Jacquelyn Wilder
START-UP/Alaska Shares Jacquelyn Wilder's Story
Small Wonders Yorkie Kennels - Jacquelyn Wilder was raised in the Delta Junction area of Interior Alaska in a family that supported themselves by trapping and hunting. Although a very small woman, she can kill, field dress, and preserve a full moose, bear, deer, and any other animal, fish or bird that lives in Alaska, and has done so all her life. From childhood, she has been comfortable with this lifestyle.
Jacquelyn has a disability that sometimes limits her strength, but at 53 years old is still very physically fit and strong, from living the physically demanding subsistence lifestyle. She has a strong love of the Alaska wilderness and prefers to live independently in remote areas.
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Online Course
Start-up USA is pleased to offer a new online course, entitled Overview of Self-Employment for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities. The course will run from July 13 through August 17. Tuition is $60 per person. Read more information and register online today! Scholarships are available for individuals with disabilities to participate at no charge. To request a scholarship, please register online normally, and choose Request Scholarship on the payment options page.
New Factsheet
Low Cost/No Cost Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
Marketing and promotion is essential for all enterprises. One size does not fit all, and what is good for one company may be disastrous for the next. All businesses need to have customers, or they will go out of business. Marketing certainly does not have to be costly, but it does have to be a conscious and a continuous activity. This START-UP "Q and A" addresses a few of the more common promotional questions asked by new business owners. Read the factsheet
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